Merritt Winery

FORESTVILLE, N.Y. (February 6, 2009) -- Merritt Estate Winery welcomed Casey Whyte, a senior at SUNY Fredonia to its promotion and marketing team. Whyte will help plan Merritt’s yearly festivals, wine tastings, and other special community events.

Casey Whyte joined the winery as an intern for the spring semester. Under Ed Rodriguez, Marketing and Promotions Director, and Anita Brown, Special Projects Coordinator, Whyte will learn the ropes of the industry by participating in the Strawberry Festival in June and America’s Grape Country Wine Festival in August. Submitting press releases and feature stories to enhance promotion and marketing objectives will be big part of her internship.

Whyte is expected to graduate this May with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Public Relations. A resident of Rochester, Whyte graduated from Honeoye Falls- Lima Senior High School in 2005. Outside of the classroom, Casey is an active member of the Public Relations Student Society of America, and she has held the social chair position for the Women’s Blackhorse Rugby team for the second year in a row. Her passion for wine is apparent; Casey has planned a month long backpacking trip to Europe this summer, and hopes to visit a variety of vineyards in France.

“As a young wine enthusiast, Casey will experience every aspect of the business. She brings a new perspective to the winery with her understanding of social media. We look forward to incorporating her unique ideas into future business plans,” said Anita Brown. “Social media has become a hot topic in public relations. Utilizing blogs and Web sites such as Facebook are invaluable networking tools for a growing business,” said Brown.

“This internship is a priceless opportunity, to learn and grow not only in the public relations industry, as well as the wine business,” said Casey Whyte. “I think it’s great that I can combine my passion for wine and public relations together. This is going to be a great semester,” said Whyte.

For more information on events and festivals at Merritt Estate Winery, call 888- 965-4800, or visit our website at www.merrittestatewinery.com.

Merritt Estate Winery is located in the largest grape growing region of New York State. The grapes and wines produced under Merritt rival the quality of premium vintages throughout the world.